ENVIRONMENTAL

MONITORING

PLAN

for diazinon

2011 Mediterranean Fruit Fly Cooperative

Eradication Program

Prepared by

Plant Protection and Quarantine - Environmental Compliance

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

United States Department of Agriculture

March 2011
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 1

GENERAL

The United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

Directive 5640.1 (4/19/02) commits the Agency to a policy of fulfilling the mandates of the 

National Environmental Policy Act; the Endangered Species Act; the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; and other statutes that require monitoring the effects of Federal 

programs on the environment. The monitoring described in this document partially fulfills these 

commitments for the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Cooperative Eradication Program (the Program).

BACKGROUND

The Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly, Ceratitis capitata, is a major pest of agriculture 

throughout many parts of the world. Because of its wide host range (over 300 species of fruits 

and vegetables) and its potential for damage, the Medfly represents a serious threat to U.S. 

agriculture. Between January 31 and March 26, 2011, five Medflies were identified at sites

within the City of Pompano Beach, Broward County, Florida. The U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Florida 

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are cooperating to eradicate the 

Medfly infestation and prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States.

The initial treatment plan for Medfly within the eradication zone includes ground applications of 

an organic formulation of spinosad bait to the foliage of host trees and plants applied with 

hydraulic spray or hand-spray equipment. A diazinon soil drench will be applied to sites where 

Medfly larvae have been detected. Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) will also be used on the 

Medfly population—the eradication zone will be flooded with a continued release of sterile male 

Medflies in order to disrupt the reproduction cycle and thereby reduce the wild population. The 

public will be notified 24 hours prior to insecticidal treatment or physical removal of potentially 

infested fruit from their property, and provided with guidelines for post-treatment precautions 

and harvest protocols. Treatments will be repeated daily for 7 to 14 days (or one Medfly life 

cycle). The eradication project will continue for three life cycles past the date of the last Medfly 

trapped. 

The monitoring described below is for Program use of diazinon, the use of which is authorized 

under a FIFRA Crisis Exemption. Minor risks from the use of diazinon have been suggested by 

EPA, and environmental monitoring will be used to provide information to the program 

regarding these risks. No monitoring is necessary for the use of spinosad, due to the experience 

with the Program use of this chemical and its very low toxicological risk, particularly to humans.

MONITORING

This environmental monitoring plan describes the objectives of the monitoring effort and 

provides guidance for selecting sampling sites, collecting environmental samples, determining 

sampling frequency and the number of samples. It also lists what observational data must be 

collected in the field and what other supporting documentation must accompany all 

environmental samples. This plan does not include any monitoring that might be required 

following consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regarding endangered or 

threatened (E&T) species. Should monitoring requirements result from these consultations, this 
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 2

plan will be modified to incorporate them. Worker safety monitoring will not be addressed in 

this plan but is addressed in the APHIS Safety and Health Manual.

OBJECTIVES

1. Examine the potential for exposure of the public and wildlife to diazinon from soil drench 

treatments conducted as part of this program.

2. Demonstrate the effectiveness of required protection measures to avoid adverse effects to 

federally protected species.

3. Investigate any reports of possible adverse effects on public health or wildlife due to program 

treatment.

MONITORING METHODS

Before undertaking any environmental monitoring for the treatment season, contact the 

Environmental Compliance Team (ECT) in Riverdale, Maryland for specific guidance at 

(301) 734-8876 or (301) 734-7592 if there are any questions regarding the monitoring plan. 

Note that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) listed below are available at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/emt/support_docs.shtml. Minimum 

samples sizes for individual media are provided at the end of this section.

1. Examine the potential for exposure of the public and wildlife to diazinon from soil drench 

treatments conducted as part of this program.

Sampling in regards to human health. The main human health concern with the use of 

diazinon is a potential risk to children. Select at least three sites where soil drench treatments 

with diazinon will be conducted. Sites of the greatest concern are residences, schools, and 

playgrounds. Prior to a treatment and within 24 hours after a treatment field personnel shall 

collect composite samples of surface soil from the treatment area. Follow the guidelines 

provided in SOP EM-06 Collection of Soil Samples.

Sampling in regards to avian dietary items. The main environmental concern with the use of 

diazinon is a potential risk to birds. Select at least three sites where soil drench treatments with 

diazinon will be conducted. Prior to a treatment and within 24 hours after a treatment, collect 

composite samples of avian dietary items from the substrate within the drip line of trees where 

the treatment were made. The composite sample will consist of seeds, forbs and invertebrates. 

If such samples are not available, collect an appropriate surrogate sample, such as leafy 

vegetation from the treatment area. Follow the guidelines provided in SOP EM-07 Collection of 

Vegetation Samples and SOP EM-08 Collection of Insect Samples.

General Information

The sampling described above is for guidance and should be modified as appropriate to best 

address additional situations. For example, additional soil samples may be taken through time if 

further characterization of diazinon degradation would prove useful to answer possible questions 
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 3

raised by the Program or the public. An Environmental Monitoring Supplies Checklist is 

provided at the end of this plan. Use this form to ensure field personnel have the appropriate 

number and type of supplies and equipment for sampling. This form should also be used to order 

monitoring supplies from Center for Plant Health Science Technology (CPHST) analytical 

chemistry laboratory in Gulfport, Mississippi. Note that this form is used for all monitoring 

directed by ECT and not all supplies will be needed for all pest control programs.

Minimum Required Sample Sizes

The following are minimum samples sizes for various media that might be collected. This 

indicated amounts are the minimum needed to characterize a single sample location. Composite 

samples may be made as appropriate if sample media is limited, but must be noted as such on the 

sample documentation. Samples of other media should not be collected, as appropriate 

analytical methods may not be readily available.

Water: 750 ml minimum per analysis

Soil: (assuming sandy loam, not potting media) 120 g minimum per analysis

Vegetation: 15 g minimum per analysis

Insects: 5 g minimum per analysis

2. Demonstrate the effectiveness of required protection measures to avoid adverse effects to 

federally protected species.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has reviewed the proposed Medfly response in Broward County, 

Florida. It is the Service’s opinion that no candidate or federally listed endangered or threatened 

species are likely to be adversely affected by the expansion of this project if (1) applications use

ground-based equipment and (2) applications are restricted to the regulated boundary. Should 

the eradication area expand to areas where protected species become a concern, monitoring may 

be required and this monitoring plan will be updated accordingly. 

3. Investigate any reports of possible adverse effects on public health or wildlife due to 

program treatment.

Priority sampling will be conducted to investigate incidents of unknown origin involving nontarget species or other unintended environmental or human health impacts possibly associated 

with Program-applied diazinon. Information about priority sampling can be found in SOP EM09, Priority (Emergency) Sampling. Collect priority samples as soon as possible after the 

complaint, request, or problem is reported. Contact the ECT at (301) 734-7592 or 734-8876 to 

collaborate on a sampling plan, sampling methods, and types of samples to collect in order to 

optimize the investigation. If the incident occurs on a weekend, commence the investigation and 

sampling without delay, and contact the ECT via email immediately or as soon as possible on 

Monday.

Proper documentation of the incident, investigation, and samples is extremely important. When 

responding to priority incidents, send to the ECT all GPS maps showing the site, location where 

samples were collected, the nearest treatment area, and treatment history. Be sure to completely 

fill out all information on the APHIS 2060 forms with each sample. Be sure to provide an 
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 4

incident/complaint report to the ECT, along with any other information that you feel will be 

helpful in resolving the incident (i.e. photos, observations at the site, interviews, etc.).

SAMPLE DOCUMENTATION

All samples must be documented using individual originals of APHIS Form 2060 (see below for 

a copy.) Draw a clear diagram of the sample locations relative to the sensitive site and the 

treatment block. The diagram should include where each sample is collected, important features 

(i.e. residences, water bodies, roads) identified with labels, a North arrow, and an approximate 

scale. In addition to the site map drawn in the Remarks section of the 2060 form documenting 

the sample and treatment locations, sample figures can be created either on a Geographic 

Information System (GIS) map, on a separate piece of paper. If you are collecting a series of 

samples from the same site, submit the map and diagram only once, as long as the treatment 

block, sensitive site, and each sample location are clearly indicated on the map or the appropriate 

sections of the APHIS 2060 form.

Complete a separate APHIS 2060 form for each sample. Instructions for completing the 2060 

forms can be found on the back of form originals. For each sample; submit the blue copy of the 

APHIS 2060 form with the sample, and the white copy to the CPHST Gulfport laboratory in the 

sample shipping container but separate from the sample, and the yellow copy (and any maps, 

photos, etc.) to PPQ Environmental Compliance in Riverdale, Maryland. Keep the pink copy in 

your local office.

Properly identify each sample as “routine” or “priority” in box 12 of the 2060 form. An 

incorrect identification regarding the nature of the sample creates confusion for those who must 

interpret the data and delays the processing of samples. Mark samples as “priority” only for 

instances where a fast turnaround of samples is required. This applies to all complaint 

investigations, spill incidents, potential human health issues, and other samples considered to be 

of very high importance. Otherwise, mark the sample as “routine.”

SHIPPING OF SAMPLES

Ship all samples using some form of overnight delivery. See SOP EM-17, Packaging and 

Shipping of Samples for details. This applies to all samples, whether they are priority or routine. 

Do not ship samples using the U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail or standard ground service with 

other carriers. Preservation of the samples by freezing requires overnight delivery rather than 

alternative shipping arrangements which are more likely to result in the melting of ice and 

samples.

With the exception of neat (pure) chemical, be sure that all samples are frozen, shipped in a 

cooler box (not a regular cardboard box), and kept frozen during shipment. Neat samples should 

not be frozen, but should be placed on ice in a cooler box when shipped. To keep samples cold,

use dry ice when possible since it does not turn to liquid when thawed and will not ruin forms or 

samples. Water samples should not be shipped in dry ice, since it will cause the sample 

containers to crack or break. Since dry ice may not be available in all areas, regular ice can be 

used for shipping any samples, but only if the ice is placed in a separate sealed container. Either 

use “blue ice” containers (the reusable plastic containers with the blue liquid inside) or contained 

regular ice (that is, seal the ice in zip-loc bags). Unsealed ice will melt and leak during 
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 5

shipment, causing unnecessary concern when received at the laboratory and possibly damaging 

the samples and documentation.

DISCRETIONARY MONITORING

Additional monitoring samples can be collected at the discretion of program staff. Although the 

monitoring outlined in this plan should be adequate to generate the data needed to meet the 

objectives, the program may decide that additional sampling is necessary. Examples might 

include sites where there have been issues in previous years, sites that are highly visible to the 

public or are politically sensitive, or sites where environmental monitoring might help prevent 

future conflicts. Guidance involving any of these cases can be obtained by contacting PPQ 

Environmental Compliance in Riverdale, Maryland.

RESPONSIBILITIES

APHIS-PPQ Field Personnel or Cooperators will:

a. Ensure that sufficient resources from the program are allocated for completing the 

monitoring detailed in this Environmental Monitoring Plan.

b. Coordinate with federal and local wildlife officials to identify E&T species and critical 

habitats near or within areas that may be affected by program activities, and inform PPQ 

Environmental Compliance in Riverdale, Maryland about any protection measures and 

monitoring requirements.

c. Implement appropriate operational procedures, mitigations, and protection measures.

d. Identify monitoring sites for sampling, collect samples, record all relevant environmental 

and sample data, and submit samples to the CPHST Gulfport laboratory for residue 

analysis.

e. Submit information describing the sample, sampling site, and treatment to Environmental 

Compliance.

f. Inform Environmental Compliance when priority samples are collected and the CPHST 

Gulfport laboratory when priority samples are shipped.

APHIS-PPQ Environmental Compliance staff in Riverdale, Maryland will:

a. Provide training and support for the implementation of this monitoring plan.

b. Respond to requests for additional information by field personnel when special sampling 

requirements occur.

c. Review and interpret pesticide residue data. 

(1) If adverse environmental effects are suspected: inform the Program Director and 

the National Program Manager, make recommendations if modifications to 

program operations might be in order.

(2) Send raw data for any priority samples within 1 working day of 

receipt from the CPHST Gulfport laboratory to the Program.

(3) Prepare a final report within 90 days of analysis of all samples by the CPHST 

Gulfport laboratory and receipt of documentation from the field.

d. Maintain liaison with field personnel to assure monitoring is being conducted and to 

review pertinent documentation for accuracy and completeness. Feedback to field 

personnel will be done in a timely manner so procedures can be modified, if needed.
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 6

APHIS-PPQ Center for Plant Health Science Technology analytical chemistry laboratory staff in 

Gulfport, Mississippi will:

a. Prepare and ship sampling containers and equipment required for collection and 

submission of environmental monitoring samples.

b. Provide instructions and training on methods for collecting, preserving, and shipping 

samples.

c. Analyze samples for the program pesticides specified on the associated 2060 Form.

d. Input APHIS Form 2060 data into the database system at the CPHST Gulfport laboratory. 

Send data to Environmental Compliance electronically within 23 working days of sample 

receipt for routine samples and five working days for priority samples.
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 7

Front page of APHIS Form 2060, the Environmental Monitoring Form.
2011 Medfly Environmental Monitoring Plan 8

Back page of APHIS Form 2060, the Environmental Monitoring Form
B1

Revised February 2011

Environmental Monitoring Supplies Checklist & Order Form

- use the blank areas to indicate the number of items to take to the field or 

how many of that item being ordered from the Gulfport LaboratoryGeneral Monitoring Supplies

Monitoring plan/SOP’s Obtain from ECT Ice chest and wet or blue ice Obtain locally

Field log notebook Thermometer

Compass Baby wipes

Rain gauge 2060 monitoring forms

Indelible marker 4" x 4" resealable plastic bags

Packing/strapping tape 10” x 10" resealable plastic bags

Styrofoam coolers/mailers 12” x 12" resealable plastic bags

Soil Samples Dye Cards

Soil core sampler (used only for 

sampling at depth)

Oil-sensitive dye cards (50 per 

package)

Hand trowel Water-sensitive dye cards (one set 

of paired cards packaged)

12 x 12 x 1⁄4 inch mesh screen 5' bamboo poles/stakes

10” x 14” foil envelopes Paper/alligator clips

Vegetation/Fish/Insect Samples Tacks

Pruning shears/scissors Tweezers/forceps

10” x 14” foil envelopes Nitrile gloves (box of S,M,L,XL)

Strapping tape Water Samples

Aquatic Sediment Samples Hach dissolved oxygen kit (refills)

Dredge tied to strong rope collapsible cubitainer (gallon size)

Hand trowel collapsible cubitainer (liter size)

3" mesh screen Sodium sulfate (small vials)

10x14” foil envelopes pH paper (0-14 range)

Acid or base (squeeze bottle) Obtain locally
B2

Revised February 2011

A.R.S.E. (Run-off Sampling) Wipe Samples (malathion only)

Plexiglas cover 2” x 2” sterile cotton pads in a 

resealable plastic bag

8"x 8" mesh screen Metric ruler

Tent pegs/nails Pencil

Funnels attached to caps Disposable gloves (box)

500 ml glass bottles Isopropyl alcohol Obtain locally

4" PVC pipe, 14" long Neat (Pure) Chemical Formulations

Post hole digger Amber glass bottle (2 ounce size) 

(also used for honey samples)

Pea gravel, rocks/bricks Obtain locally Parafilm

Bamboo pole/flagging tape Small mailing tubes

collapsible cubitainer (gallon size) Protective eyewear

Sodium sulfate (small vials) Disposable pipette

pH paper (0-14 range) Pipetting bulb

Acid or base (squeeze bottle) Obtain locally Disposable gloves

NOTE: This list above for each sample group is to remind you of important items for that sampling, but some items 

are useful for all sampling. For example, disposable gloves should be used for all sampling, but are especially 

critical for neat, dye card, and wipe samples.

Program: _________________________________ Requested by: ______________________________ 

Date: _____________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________ 

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

To order supplies, indicate the quantity of each items needed. Fax or mail a copy of this form to CPHST Gulfport 

Lab at 228-822-3137 or barbara.moffett@usda.gov. If fax machines are not working, leave a message with the

CPHST Gulfport Lab supplies manager at 228-822-3106. Please realize that it may be difficult to completely fill 

order for large quantities of materials.

This is not an exhaustive supply list...items that are not listed here may be available through CPHST Gulfport Lab. 

Not all supplies listed above are required for all pest control programs.